Converter



(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. REESE;

' CONVERTER.

No. 308,986. Patented Dec. 9,- 1884.

HI I 1ml 1h I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. REESE.

(No Model.)

GONVERTER.

Patented Dec. 9, 1884.

I I/lIll ulll/llllflfflrllllf H I I I I I I I I I I I g 'I I g N. PETERS. Phuminhognpher. Waihingion, 04c.

Warren dramas Fn'rnrvr marina JACOB REESE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CQNVERT'ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,986, dated December 9, 188%.

Application filed May 5, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB REEsE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvement in Converters; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved converter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same when in position for blowing. Fig. 3 is aside elevation with the top and tuyere swung off. Fig. i is a vertical cross-section when in .position for blowing, as in Fig. 2.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur. I

My invention relates to converters in which molten iron may be desiliconized, decarbonized, and dephosphorized for the production of ingot iron and steel.

There are two processes by which molten cast-iron may be converted into ingot iron and steel, one of which is known as the acid process, because it is conducted in an acid-lined vessel and in the presence of an acid slag. This acid process will eliminate the carbon and reduce the silicon as low as .020, but it will not eliminate the phosphorus in any degree; hence it is restricted to non-phosphoretic metals, or, in other words, to metals having no more phosphorus than allowed in the steel to be produced. The acid process is not only defective as a non-dephosphorizer, but is also defective in that it leaves more silicon (.020) in the metal than will permit the metal to possess a perfect welding quality. It has been fully and clearly determined that, owing to the deoxidizing property of silicon, when silicon exists in iron or steel in a greater proportion than .010, the silicon devours the oxide and prevents the metal from forming a perfect weld. Therefore the iron and steel produced by the acid process is a non-welding metal. The ap parent welds made on such metal are defective and by concussion become loosened. The other process is known as the basic process, because it is conducted in a basic-lined vessel and in the presence of a basic slag. In both processes the foreign matter is removed by oxidation. The oxides so removed, being of a less specific gravity, arise from the molten iron andenter the slag which lies upon the surface of the metal. In the basic process, the slag being composed, chiefly, of metallic bases, the silicon is held in it as silicates and the phosphorus as phosphates, and thus by the basic process ingot iron and steel may not only be dophosphorized, but it may also be thoroughly desiliconized and a perfect welding metal produced. The lining of the vessel, per 36, does not dephosphorize. It neither takes up nor gives out phosphorus. The phos phorus is removed from the metal by oxidation, and the phosphoric acid so formed unites with oxide of iron or lime and exists as aphosphate in the slag. The slag cannot hold the phosphate in the presence of carbon; hence the metal must be blown after the carbon has disappeared, so as to dephosphorize it. The slag cannot hold the phosphate in the presence of any considerable amount of silicic acid 5 therefore the lining of the vessel must not contain silicic acid, because the lining wears down and runs into the slag. It will be seen, then, that dephosphori'zation may take place in any vessel in which the waste of the lining will not deteriorate the highlybasic quality of the slag.

The object of this invention is to furnish a vessel in which molten iron may be thoroughly decarburized, desiliconized, and dephosphorized more perfectly and more cheaply than by the use of the lime-lined vessel. In the prac tice of the lime-lined vessel in the basic process the greatest wear of the lining occurs where the slag comes in contact with it, as the oxide of iron and manganese in the slag cut-s the lime down. Now, to obviate this difficulty, I line the portion of the vessel which surrounds the metal and the slag with an iron lining, which is water-jacketed, so as to keep its temperature below the point of fusion.

I will now describe the construction of my improved converter and its use in converting crude cast-iron into ingot iron and steel. The base of the converterBis made of a cylindrical form, of cast iron or steel, having an inner and an outer shell, which are united at the bottom, thus forming a waterspace between the inner and outer shell. These shells may be made from two to three inchesthick, orthe inner shell may be made of cast metal and the tuyere.

I ing.

outer shell made of one-quarter (3;) inch plate riveted to the inner shell at the base. This water jacketed converter -bottom is placed upon a base-plate, A, havingaproper founda tion. The converter-bottom B is open atboth the top and the bottom, asshown in the crosssection, Fig. 4c.

At the base of the converter-bottom a lime lining which has been previously prepared by burning at ahigh temperature and mixed with carbonaceous matter is rammed down at 0, thus forming a lime-lined base to the convert- -er-bttom. This converter-bottom is provided with a tap-hole, D, for withdrawing the molten metal after its conversion. This tap-hole extends through both shells, and consequentlyis water-jacketed.

On the top of the bottom 13 is placedametal dome, E, forming the mouth of the converter,

and on top of this dome E is placed the tuyereframe F. This tuyere-frame F is made to conform to the shape of the dome E and is riveted to it. The interior of the tuyere-frame F is so constructed as to receive the tuyere G, which is so constructed and arranged as to be readily removed when necessary. The tuyereframe F is provided with trunnions H, which rest on pillow-blocks I. Each of these trunnions is hollow. One of the trunnions has an opening in it, which communicates with a conduit into the top of the tuyere-frame J, through which the blast is forced into the The other trunnion is provided with two openings, as shown in Fig. 4, both of which communicate by means of conduits through the tuyere-frame to the interior of the tuyere. The tuyere G is formed of tub For a five ton vessel the outer tube may be fifteen (15) inches in diameter. An outside flange is screwed onto its upper end at K, and an inside flange screwed onto its lower end. A thin tube with an outside flange at its top end is then slipped in the outside tube. This thin tube is made one-half (t) inch less diameter than the inside diameter of the outer tube, and of such length that its lower end will remain about one (1) inch above the bottom flange when its top rests on the seat L.

.An inner tube of thirteen (13) inches diameter is then placed in, and its lower end screwed into the flange attached to the tube G. At the upper end a wide flange is screwed on, as shown at M. At the bottom of the tuyere the central blast-opening is closed with a brick tuyere having a series of small openings in it. This tuyere G is so constructed that it can be readily removed through the tuyere-frame, and when set in place the flanges rest on the conduits, so as to form ablast-connection-with the center, as at N, while an inward flow of water is secured at O and an outward flow at P. Vhen the tuyere has been placed in position, the cap Q is screwed on'and the frame is drawn back, as shown in Fig. 3.

side of the shell is then lined with lime in the same manner as the base of the bottom, or it may be lined with lime brick or with oxide 'of the converter.

The iniron, or any other basic material; or, if the converter is to be used for producing phosphorsteel nails, such as described in application filed by me February 11, 1884:, both'the interior of the shell E and the base 0 may be lined with silicious material, as the slag will not come in contact with them, and the wear will not be material and will not deteriorate the slag, so as to prevent the dephosphorization of the metal down to .20, if desired. WVhen the vessel has been lined,a blast-connection is made by a suitable stuffing-box at R, and an inlet and an outlet water-connection suitably provided with stuffing-boxes at S. VVhenthe vessel is ready for. use, a fire is kindled in it,and it is blown until thoroughly dried. A crane is attached to the trunnions T T and the top is swung back. Some oxide of iron is placed in the bottom, the tap-hole closed, the water-connections made with the tuyere and the water jacketed converter; Molten iron with from ten (10) to twenty per cent. of oxide of iron, lime, or other basic material as a fluid basic slag is then run into the converter, the blast let on, and the top turned down so as to close the vessel,as shown in Fig. 2. In thus closing the vessel the tuyere is forced down into the bath, the air is forced down the tuyere and through the metal. The

water is forced down the inner channel and up the outer channel of the tuyere, thus forcing the coldwate-r to the base or nose of the tuyere, and securing a perfect current of water in the tuyere. The blowing should be continued until the metal is desiliconized and decarburized- The latter will be known by the disappearance of the carbon flame from the mouth of The blow should then be continued from three to. five minutes, in the absence of carbon, until the metal is dephosphorized of reduced to the degree required. The top is then raised and the metal and slag tapped out through the opening D. A constant stream of water must be kept running through the tuyere and the water-jacketed converter. Should the metal work cold, the water may be allowed to rise near the boiling-point; but when the metal works too hot a greater stream of water should be used, so as to lower its temperature, and thus abstract a greater quantity of caloric from the metal. This converter may be used to advantage in large works,where ten (10) or fifteen (15) tons are blown at one heat; but it is especially designed for use in small works,where fifty to one hundred (100) tons per day are required, and where a plant of small cost is essential.

My improved converter is simple and compact, cheaply constructed, easily han'dled,and easily repaired. The top cap taken off, the tuyere can be drawn out and a new tuyere put in in a few moments time. t is raised, the base of the vessel can be readily repaired,and so can the lining of the shell, and when the top is drawn back the bottom waterjacketed chamber may be removed and anew chamber put in place in a few moments.

When the top In the practice of my improved converter I prefer to tap the metal and slag into a ladle immediately and deoxidize the metal in the ladle. In doing so the deoxidizing agent should be first put into the ladle, as by doing so the slag is kept away from the deoxidizing agent, as the slag will flow out of the converter last.

I do not herein claim an air-jacketed converter, nor conveying the heat abstracted by the lining back into the molten metal, as I have special claims for such, as fully set forth in Serial No. 35,514, filed by me June 10, 1881.

WVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A converter having a fiXed'met-al chamber surrounded with a Water-jacketed iron lining and a non-metallic bottom, and provided with a metallic dome having a non-metallic lining and a water-jacketed air-tuyere, constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A converter having a fixed metal chamber surrounded by an annular water-jacketed iron lining and anon-metallic bottom, and provided with an adjustable dome lined inter- 25 nally with a non-metallic substance, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A converterhaving afixed metal chamber surrounded by an annular water-jacketed iron lining and a non-metallic bottom, and pro- 0 vided with an adjustable pivoted dome having a waterjacketed air-tuyere, whereby the tuyere may be inserted and Withdrawn from the metal quickly without impairing the Water or the air connections, substantially as and 3 5 for the purpose set forth.

JACOB REESE.

\Vitnesses WALTER BEEsE, H. L. REESE. 

